25

Max Lucado writes, “I came across a sad story this week, a story about a honeymoon disaster. The newlyweds arrived at the hotel in the wee hours with high hopes. They’d reserved a large room with romantic amenities. That’s not what they found. Seems the room was pretty skimpy. The tiny room had no view, no flowers, a cramped bathroom and worse of all no bed. Just a foldout sofa with a lumpy mattress and sagging springs. It was not what they’d hoped for; consequently, neither was the night.

The next morning the sore-necked groom stormed down to the manager’s desk and ventilated his anger. After listening patiently for a few minutes, the clerk asked, “Did you open the other door in your room?” The groom admitted he hadn’t. He returned to the suite and opened the door he had thought was a closet. There, complete with fruit baskets and chocolates, was a spacious bedroom!

Can’t you just see them standing in the doorway of the room they’d overlooked? Oh, it would have been so nice… A comfortable bed instead of a clumpy sofa. A large curtain-framed window rather than a blank wall. A fresh breeze in place of stuffy air. An elaborate restroom, complete with a jacuzzi.

But they missed it. How sad. Cramped, cranky and uncomfortable while something better was a just a closed door away. They missed it because they thought the door was a dead end closet.”

Sometimes churches can be like this. What is thought to be a dead end might be a new beginning. What is thought to be a closed door might be the opening for God’s flood gate of blessing to be released. Aren’t you one bit curious about what God might be up to? Don’t you wonder what’s behind closed doors? Faith requires churches to reach for the handle and peek inside. The writer of Hebrews must have known about looking for the things of God to be revealed, listen to chapter 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Just as the honeymoon couple would have found their every need and desire met, so will we if by faith we seek out all that God has for us. Don't leave any handles unturned in your relationship with Jesus.